The Obama administration is confronting what it says is a growing humanitarian crisis on the nation’s southern border as thousands of unaccompanied children, many who are fleeing violence and poverty in Central America, are now entering the U.S. illegally.

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The Obama administration is confronting what it says is a growing humanitarian crisis on the nation’s southern border as thousands of unaccompanied children, many who are fleeing violence and poverty in Central America, are now entering the U.S. illegally. The influx of children crossing has overwhelmed border officials and made Texas the hotspot for what some are calling the worst immigration crisis in 30 years. Is fear of violence or misinformation causing the mass influx? In order to stem the flow, do they need to be sent back or are their lives in danger? How long can they stay in the country while their asylum status is being processed? Are immigrants still a threat to US jobs and culture or beneath the politics are American’s slowly changing their views on immigrants from Central America? How well are immigrants integrating into American life? Also, an update on Iraq and who's to blame for the Asiana Flight 214 crash.

Banner Image: Children walk past an abandoned house at the gang-infested 14 de Marzo neighbourhood in Tegucigalpa May 23, 2014. Migration by unaccompanied children from countries in the 'northern triangle' of Central America, comprising Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, is gaining attention as a humanitarian crisis in the United States, while U.S. authorities are trying to discourage the inflow of illegal immigrants who will almost certainly be deported. Since October last year, 52,000 unaccompanied children have arrived on the U.S. border with Mexico, according to the Obama administration, and most are fleeing gang and drug violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Picture taken May 23, 2014. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera

On the last day of his trip to Iraq, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stopped in the relatively stable Kurdish region. His mission: to press Kurdish leaders not to abandon the increasingly sectarian Iraqi government in the fight against Islamist militants. The president of the Kurdish Regional Government said the country was facing a “new reality.” This comes as ISIS militants strike closer and closer to Baghdad. Matt Bradley is in Baghdad for the Wall Street Journal.

More than 50,000 children, most alone and from Central America, have tried to cross the US-Mexican border since October. Officials are expecting that number to increase to 90,000 by the end of the year.

The flood of unaccompanied minors, often suffering from abuse or ill health, has overwhelmed border officials.

In response the US government is building a new holding facility for the children in McAllen, Texas. But questions remain about their legal status, and whether they should stay in this country or be repatriated.

There are new findings today about what caused Asiana Flight 214 to crash into a sea wall at San Francisco airport last summer. The crash killed three people and injured more than 180. This morning the National Transportation Safety Board announced that the crash was caused by pilot error. Investigators have said the pilots came in too low and too slow to land safely. Dan Weikel, Transportation Reporter with the LA Times, joins us.